A Moment In Life
by baby8love
Summary: G/C - 'Inside The Box' follow-up - *COMPLETE*
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimers: Not mine

Spoilers: Inside The Box

**+++++**

**A MOMENT IN LIFE**

**(Chapter 1)**

As she watched Grissom disappear around the corner with the nurse by his side, all Catherine could think about was how relieved she was to be here. She wanted desperately to tell Grissom that it probably meant more to her to be here than it meant to him. He had no idea what she had just gone through. What she had just discovered last night from Greg and what she had just confronted in Sam Braun's office. She wanted to tell him but now wasn't the time. Grissom, and herself, had something more important to deal with now. She was determined to put aside her own troubles and concentrate wholly on being a friend to him, something she realized she hadn't been for a while.

Finding a seat in the waiting area, she flipped mindlessly through several magazines before getting bored of them and settling with looking out the window. The sun had risen fully by now and she was sure the team was in their respective homes, sound asleep and unaware of what their supervisor was going through at this moment. She wasn't sure how long she had stared blankly out the window so when a nurse tapped her on the shoulder, she was surprised to hear the young girl say that Grissom's surgery was over.

Standing up, she realized a woman, obviously a doctor who had just done surgery, seeing that she was still in her green surgery outfit, accompanied the nurse.

"Hi, I'm Dr. Roth.  I oversaw Dr. Grissom's surgery." Dr. Roth extended her hand politely towards Catherine. "You must be Ms. Willows."

"Yes..." Catherine shook the doctor's hand, trying to recall silently if she had ever met the woman. "I am."

Noticing the confused expression on Catherine's face, the doctor smiled, "Dr. Grissom mentioned that you were here with him."

"Oh, he did?" Catherine wasn't sure why but she was surprised by this. She hadn't really expected Grissom to mention her presence.

"Yes, he did. And I'm glad that he has a friend with him here. To be honest with you, I didn't think he would come in for this surgery. He seemed unsure about it, understandably, and I think it helped him to have someone by his side at a moment like this. Would you like to see him? He should be awake now."

Barely able to absorb the doctor's words, Catherine nodded with a dazed smile, "Ok."

The walk to the hospital room was short and in a comfortable silence. Catherine followed the doctor and felt, with each step, a little more nervous. She didn't understand the reason for her nervousness but by the time they had reached the closed door, she had to take a deep breath to steady her heart rate. She was sure the doctor had noticed her anxiousness but to her relief, Dr. Roth said nothing, only giving her a reassuring smile before opening the door for her.

Catherine stepped into the surprisingly spacious hospital room and was sure her heart had skipped a beat as her eyes met with Grissom's. On reflex, she turned around and noticed that the door was closed once again and apparently Dr. Roth had not followed her inside. She turned back to Grissom with a smile, "Hi."

"Hey." His voice was soft and his eyes were barely open.

"Shouldn't you be sleeping?"

"I just did for 3 hours."

"It's been 3 hours?" Catherine looked at her watch and was shocked to see Grissom was right.

This garnered a chuckle from Grissom, "Ah...so I see I wasn't the only one who slept through it."

Catherine smiled, taking it as a good sign that Grissom had his sense of humour intact and was actually smiling, but immediately turned serious when she noticed the bandage covering his ear, "How does it feel?"

"Not like much." He paused, as if trying to sense the slightest of pain but then shook his head, "I don't think the anesthesia's completely worn off yet. I'll probably change my mind in another hour." Being true to himself, Grissom spoke in a nonchalant tone and quickly changed the subject, "Did you stay here the whole time?"

She nodded, answering his question, though she knew he had already known the answer. "Lindsey's with her grandmother for the week so I don't have to rush home or anything."

"You've had a long couple of days."

"I have." She knew it was useless arguing with him. Even though she hadn't told him and she was sure Greg hadn't either, she knew he already knew about her true connection to Sam Braun. "But I don't wanna talk about that right now."

"Are you ok?" He asked quietly, not wanting to provoke her but also truly wanting to know.

"Of course I am. I'm not the one who just had surgery." She answered with a smile, hoping to lighten up the mood.

"You know what I mean, Catherine." If she wanted to lighten up the mood, he obviously wasn't going to let her.

"I know but like I said, I don't wanna talk about that right now. I should be the one fretting over you, not the other way around."

"I'm sorry I couldn't be there for you." He continued, ignoring her plea to change the subject.

She looked at him with a bit of annoyance in her eyes, but granted him one last comment, "You had something more important to deal with. Now if we continue talking about this, I'm gonna need a full report on when you found out about your hearing and why it took you so long to tell me. So what's it gonna be?" She smirked, knowing though Grissom had told her about the surgery, he was not completely ready to tell her everything yet.

He sighed with defeat, "You should go home and get some rest."

"I should but that would mean leaving you here alone to bother the nurses to death, so I think I'm gonna do the medical staff here a favour and stay for a bit."

"I'm not *that* annoying." Grissom rolled his eyes, though he was secretly grateful for her staying.

"Please, Gil, if I left, you would probably buzz the nurse and ask when you could get out of here. And if they didn't let you, you'd probably sneak out anyway, protocol and security guards be damned." She looked at him pointedly, settling into a chair she had pulled over to the side of the bed.

Grissom grinned at the truth of her sarcastic prediction, happier than he could've imagined himself after a surgery this important. It meant a lot to him to have her here. Her presence, not to mention her wishing him of 'good luck' and her hug, had boosted his confidence before the surgery. Now her continued presence and ability to downplay the seriousness of his surgery, steadied his thoughts and nerves about his future. Though not entirely prepared to tell anyone the whole story, he couldn't have asked for a better person to share this moment with than Catherine.

_*To be continued…*_


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimers: Not mine

Spoilers: Inside The Box

**+++++**

**A MOMENT IN LIFE – (Chapter 2)**

Grissom opened his eyes at the sound of knocking on his door. It was either his doctor or nurse or Catherine. Dr. Roth had just visited him a while ago and the nurses didn't bother him until meal times. He smiled at his method of elimination, "Come in."

  
The door opened to reveal who he had already predicted to be his visitor, "Hi." Catherine smiled brightly, feeling refreshed from having slept in her own bed for the first time last night since Grissom's surgery. "I brought you a visitor."  
  
A moment of panic enveloped Grissom at the word 'visitor'. Who had she brought? She wouldn't have told the others...not yet, not without him, anyway. Right? He snapped out of his thoughts at the sound of a little girl's voice.  
  
"Hi Uncle Grissom!"  
  
Bringing his mind and eyes back into focus, Grissom smiled when he realized who his surprise visitor was. "Hi Lindsey."  
  
The little girl hopped onto the bed to give him a hug but was pulled back by her mother, "Whoa...whoa, be careful, sweetie. You don't wanna hurt Uncle Grissom's ear."  
  
Lindsey pouted a bit but stayed put in her spot by Grissom's leg, "Are you ok now, Uncle Grissom? Does it hurt?"  
  
"No." He lied. Now that the anesthesia had worn off, his ear was beginning to sting and that was bringing on a headache, but he wasn't about to worry the little girl or her mother. "It doesn't hurt at all."  
  
"Are you hungry? Mom and I could get you ice cream! Last time I was in the hospital, I got ice cream!"  
  
Grissom looked questioningly at Catherine, "Ice cream?"  
  
"She had her tonsils taken out. Lindsey, Uncle Grissom didn't get his tonsils taken out."  
  
"So does that mean you can't eat ice cream?"  
  
"Doesn't look like it." Grissom feigned disappointment.  
  
"That's too bad." Lindsey pouted again, having had her heart set on getting ice cream.  
  
"How about we go for ice cream after I get outta here?"  
  
"At that ice cream place we used to go to? Where they make those really big sundaes?" Lindsey's eyes lit up.  
  
"We'll go anywhere you want. As long as you promise me something."  
  
"What?"  
  
"Promise me you'll be good for your mom...at school and at home."  
  
Lindsey looked back at Catherine then turned to Grissom with a nod, "Ok."  
  
Catherine looked at Grissom with new wonderment. Sometimes the man said things she would never expect him to say. "Uh...Lindsey, honey, it's time for school."

  
"Ok, I'll come visit you again tomorrow, Uncle Grissom. Bye!"  
  
"Bye Lindsey." Grissom smiled with a wave as the little girl disappeared out the door.  
  
Catherine stopped in the doorway and turned back to him, "I'll be back in a bit."  
  
He nodded, almost a little too eagerly, and watched as the door closed. He knew he was being selfish. Catherine had spent practically all her free time this past week with him. If she wasn't at work, she was here, by his bed, keeping him company. It was only last night she had actually returned home since Lindsey was returning from her grandmother's. Though he would never have the courage to admit it out loud, he had grown accustomed to having Catherine by his side, more so than before, and found himself almost uncomfortable with himself when he was alone. He wasn't sure what it was and he knew he would have to deal with it soon -- Dr. Roth just told him today he would be ready to leave the hospital soon. And though he was embarrassed to discover how much he was enjoying Catherine's attention, it was undeniable how perfectly content he was with her company.

_*To Be Continued*_


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimers: Not mine.

Spoilers: Inside The Box

**+++++**

**A MOMENT IN LIFE – (Chapter 3)**

"Hi Mr. Grissom."

Grissom gave the girl his best smile, "Hi Wendy." The young nurse had been catering to his every medical need for the past 2 weeks and that, he was sure, had not been an easy task. He wasn't exactly a 'pleasant patient' and he appreciated the girl's help. Catherine had insisted that the girl had a crush on him, which was the reason for her consistent ability to be around when he needed something. He had waved off the suggestion though he was sure there was some truth in it now that the girl was blushing purely from his smile. "Thanks for your help these past 2 weeks."

"It's my job, Mr. Grissom. I'm glad you're ok now."

Not knowing what else to say, he smiled again as he zipped up his bag of belongings. He glanced at his watch, not subtly, and then at the door. As if on cue, it opened and in stepped Catherine. "Hey." A big grin appearing on his face uncontrollably.

"Hi, you ready to go? Hey Wendy."

"Hi Ms. Willows." The girl awkwardly said her goodbyes and hurried out the door, having just had her heart broken by a man she barely knew who was more than twice her age.

"I think you just broke her heart." Catherine peeked out the door and down the hallway.

"How? I didn't say anything!"

"Well you must've done something cuz she was practically in tears."

"She came in here, I said hi, and that was it!"

"And then I came in."

"Yes." He looked at her oddly then shook his head, "You don't think she thinks..."

"Did you deny it?"

"She didn't ask."

Catherine shrugged, "Can't blame her for thinking it. I was your only visitor the entire time."

"It was never meant to be."

This made her turn to him with a look of disbelief, "What?"

"Wendy and me." He answered with a smirk, knowing full well what she thought he had meant her and not Wendy. "I'm ready to go."

He picked up his bag and breezed past her.

"So when are you gonna tell the team?" She kept up with him, looking at him curiously. She had made up some bogus excuse about him having to go out of town for a family issue these past 2 weeks. Though she was sure the team had wanted to ask, they didn't dare.

"When I'm ready to."

"And when will that be?"

"Does it matter? I'm ok now."

"Right."

He looked at her when she said nothing else, "Do you think I should tell them?"

"It's your choice." She shrugged nonchalantly.

"Don't tell me that. You obviously have an opinion, share it."

"I think you should tell them."

"Why?"

"Because we're a family." She looked at him pointedly.

"Not this again..."

"Grissom," She grabbed his arm to stop him, "you told me because you knew, deep down inside, that you needed someone there for you. At least, that's what I'd like to believe..." She paused, allowing him to contradict her. When he didn't, she continued, "Look, we're a family, whether or not you want to admit it. And families don't keep things like this from each other. I understand that you're a private person and you don't like to broadcast your life events to everyone but these people aren't just anyone. They're a team. They're *our* team."

He looked at her and without a word, began walking again. Taking his silence as a rejection of her suggestion, she sighed and continued following him out of the hospital. Not expecting an actual response from him, she was surprised when, once they got to the car, Grissom spoke up, "I'll tell them."

"You will?"

He nodded, throwing his bag into the trunk, "You were right."

"I was?"

Chuckling, he closed the trunk, "Do you have time?"

"I have to go pick up Lindsey from school in a bit but yeah, I have a little time. What do you have in mind?"

"If I wait any longer, I'm not going to want to tell anyone about this. So while I still have the courage to, I was thinking maybe you could drop by the lab with me...can you?"

She smiled, "Of course." She wasn't sure what it was but it seemed as though the surgery hadn't only allowed Grissom to hear, it also allowed him to listen. The though made her laugh and when she did, Grissom looked at her suspiciously. She flashed him another smile before turning on the ignition. She wasn't about to waste any time, just in case Grissom really did lose his courage.

_*To Be Continued*_


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimers: Not mine.

Spoilers: Inside The Box

**+++++**

**A MOMENT IN LIFE – (Chapter 4)**

"See, that wasn't so hard, was it?" Catherine smirked as she and Grissom walked out of the crime lab.  
  
"No, it wasn't." Grissom shook his head, almost in disbelief that none of the night-shift CSI's had given him a particularly hard time after he told them about his hearing, "It was actually really easy. A little too easy."  
  
"Why are you always so suspicious?"  
  
"Bad job habit. Sorry." He smiled as they reached her car.  
  
"So you want a ride home?"  
  
"Actually I was thinking about staying here for a bit..." He trailed off, nodding towards the building they had just exited.  
  
She looked at him and rolled her eyes, "I should've known! Let you come back and you'll never leave again." When he said nothing and smiled sheepishly, she sighed, "I know, I know...bad job habit, right?"  
  
He nodded and stood there in silence, watching as she searched for her keys then opened the door. "Hey Cath?"  
  
"Yeah?" She stopped as she was just about to hop into her car.  
  
"Thanks...for everything." He wondered just how stupid he must sound at this moment. Why could he never find the right words when he needed them?  
  
"You're welcome." She began entering her car when she noticed he wasn't budging from his spot. "Grissom? You alright?"

  
"Yeah, I was just thinking...maybe I could drop by later...I mean, if you and Lindsey are free. Maybe I can take you guys out for dinner...something to say thank you for...you know..." He shrugged shyly.  
  
"How about we'll talk when you get whatever you gotta do in there done?" She gestured at the lab, "You know how involved you are with your paperwork."  
  
He nodded again, understanding what she didn't put into words. She didn't have to say it. He knew what she meant. She didn't like having people make promises and then not keeping them. Eddie did that a lot. He watched as her car made its way out of the parking lot and sped down the road away from the lab.  
  
Maybe it was time to show her not everyone was like Eddie. There were some people in this world who could make a promise and keep it. And he was determined to be one of them.

_*To Be Continued*_


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimers: Not mine.

Spoilers: Inside The Box

**+++++**

**A MOMENT IN LIFE – (Chapter 5)**

"Hey Griss?"

Grissom looked up, ready to scowl at whoever just interrupted his train of thought. He hated when people bothered him when he was trying to do his paperwork.

"Before you yell at me!" Nick held up his hands in a defensive stance, "It's 7:00. You told me to come knock on your door when it was 7?"

"Oh right..." Grissom glanced at his watch. How did 5 hours pass without him knowing? Making up for his preparation to yell at Nick, he smiled, "Thanks Nick."

"No problem." The younger CSI lingered for a moment longer in the doorway as if he was going to ask Grissom where he was headed to, but knowing better, Nick waved goodbye and headed back to the conference room where he and Sara had been working on their latest case.

Relieved that Nick hadn't asked where he was going, Grissom grabbed his jacket and raced out the door before anyone else's curiousity could get the best of them. He wanted to get to Catherine's as soon as possible. If it wasn't to prove to her that he could keep a promise, than at least to prove to himself that his work didn't engulf his entire life.

He got to Catherine's within 10 minutes, possibly a record best. Smiling to himself, he rang the doorbell and a few minutes later, was greeted with a half-dressed Catherine. His eyes widened and his gaze involuntarily lowered down her body. When he realized he had been staring, he cleared his throat and quickly met her gaze again, "H-hi...did I catch you at a bad time?"

She was grinning, satisfied to discover Grissom wasn't as different from other men as he would've liked her to believe. "I just took a shower. I wasn't expecting you..." She said rather apologetically, a little guilty she had underestimated Grissom's ability to pull himself away from his work.

Grissom shook his head to indicate it was alright she had thought this and walked inside when she stepped aside for him. "I cheated."

"What?" Catherine closed the door and looked at him, not understanding what he meant.

"I had Nick be my alarm clock." He smiled sheepishly at the confession.

She looked at him with new wonder. Did it mean *that* much to him to be here? She hadn't taken his offer for dinner seriously, knowing once he returned to the lab, he would be too engrossed in his work to remember. His confession surprised her but before she could question him about it, someone else took his attention.

"Uncle Grissom!" Lindsey came squealing down the stairs and jumped right into Grissom's open arms.

Chuckling, he hugged the little girl, "Hey Lindsey!"

"Are we gonna go get ice cream now?" Children never forgot promises, not even ones made by dazed hospital patients on pain killers.

"No." Grissom made a deliberate pause before continuing, "We're gonna go to dinner first. Then we'll go for ice cream."

"Yeah! Let's go!" Lindsey pulled Grissom by the hand.

"Whoa...we gotta wait for your mom." Grissom turned to Catherine, looking at her robe with a smirk, "As much as the restaurant manager might appreciate your choice of clothing, I think it would best if you chose something a little less...revealing."

Catherine gave him a look but laughed as she headed upstairs, "I'll be right down."

Grissom watched happily as Catherine disappeared into her room. Sighing, he hoped that all this courage he had gotten from proving whatever it was he came to prove would not disappear on him. He needed every ounce of it if he was going to say the things he had to say tonight.

"Uncle Grissom?"

He looked down as he felt a tug on his hand, "Yes Lindsey?"

"Your ear must've been hurting you a lot before you went to the hospital."

"Why do you say that?"

She shrugged and said with the innocence only a child could possess, "Cuz you seem a lot happier now."

_*To Be Continued*_


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimers: Not mine

Spoilers: Lady Heather's Box, Inside The Box

**+++++**

**A MOMENT IN LIFE**

**(Chapter 6)**

"Mom? You look really pretty today." Lindsey grinned proudly as she finished her ice cream.  
  
"Only today, huh?" Catherine raised an eyebrow.  
  
Mother and daughter shared a laugh as Grissom watched in amusement. He and his mother had been close but they had never quite mastered the art of 'joking around' like Catherine and Lindsey apparently had.  
  
"What?" Catherine asked suspiciously, noticing the smirk on his face.  
  
"Nothing." He answered innocently but his grin grew. "So you had enough ice cream yet, Lindsey?"  
  
"Yeah, I'm really full." Lindsey answered with a yawn.  
  
"Ok, I think it's time to head home. It's way past your bedtime, honey." Catherine said, checking her watch.  
  
After grabbing the check, something he had insisted on doing, Grissom went outside where Catherine and Lindsey were already waiting in his car. Catherine gestured behind them as he got into the car. Checking the rearview mirror, he found Lindsey fast asleep in the backseat.

  
"Well that didn't take long."  
  
"That was the first time in a very long time she's actually fallen asleep without so much as a fuss."  
  
He glanced at her briefly before returning his attention to the road, "She misses Eddie." He stated the obvious, then decided to ask her something he had wanted to know for a while now, "Do you?"

  
There was a long pause before she answered, "As Lindsey's father, yes. As anything else, no."  
  
Sensing Catherine didn't want to discuss this any further, he stayed silent until he pulled into the driveway. When Catherine went to wake Lindsey, he stopped her, "No, don't wake her." Getting out of the car, he opened the back door and in one swoop, picked Lindsey up in his arms.  
  
Catherine turned off the car and locked the doors before opening the front door of the house for Grissom. As he carried Lindsey upstairs into her room, Catherine stayed in the foyer. When he emerged a moment later, she was still standing silently by the front door.  
  
"Catherine?" Grissom came down the stairs with a worried expression on his face.  
  
"Ok, that's it, sit down." She pointed demandingly at the living room.

  
Not sure what was wrong, he obeyed and didn't speak until they were both seated, "What's wrong?"  
  
"That's what I'd like to know."  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
"Everything you've done today! Dragging yourself away from the lab to be here, the dinner, the ice cream, carrying Lindsey to her room..." She sighed, "What's wrong?"  
  
"Suspicion. Every CSI's gotta have it." He said half-jokingly.  
  
"I'm serious."  
  
"Does something have to be wrong for me to want to treat you and Lindsey to a nice evening?"  
  
"No..." She answered cautiously, "But I know something's wrong."  
  
"Woman's instinct?"  
  
"Something like that."  
  
"Nothing's wrong, Catherine. I simply wanted to do something to say 'thank you' for everything you've done for me. I couldn't have pulled through these past 2 weeks if it wasn't for you."

  
"I didn't even do anything. Plus, I told you that you didn't have to do anything special. Friends are supposed to be there for friends."  
  
"Well maybe I don't want to see it that way."  
  
"What?"  
  
Before he could answer, the phone rang. Catherine lingered a moment longer in her seat but when the ringing continued, she grudgingly got up to get it.  
  
"This better be good..." She muttered with a shake of her head.

_*To Be Continued*_


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimers: Not mine

Spoilers: Inside The Box

**+++++**

**A MOMENT IN LIFE**

**(Chapter 7)**

"Hello?" Catherine glanced over at Grissom, paying more attention to him than to the caller who had interrupted a moment. At least, that's what she thought it was before the phone rang -- a moment. She and Grissom almost had a moment. The voice on the other end brought her out of her thoughts, "No, I think you have the wrong number." With that, she hung up, shaking her head at the annoyance of wrong callers.  
  
"If looks could kill..." Grissom chuckled, seeing the angry expression on Catherine's face as she returned to her seat beside him.  
  
"People need to learn how to dial the right number." She huffed before immediately returning to their previous conversation, "What were you saying before?"  
  
"I don't remember." He answered as blankly as possible.  
  
She gave him a look that meant she didn't believe him. She said nothing though, just waiting in silence for him to talk. Silence. It was the best weapon she had against him. She knew it wouldn't be long until...  
  
Grissom sighed, unable to tolerate the tension-filled silence any longer, "We were talking about the eventfulness of our evening. You insisted that it was unnecessary. I thought otherwise."  
  
"Right..." She trailed off. That had been exactly what they were talking about but she had meant something more specific. Something he had said. Again, she resorted to her silent tactic.

  
"There's a reason why we've been friends for so long."  
  
"And that is..?"  
  
"You make up for my lack of conversation skills. So this isn't going to work if you don't talk." He gestured at the space between them.

  
"I'm the one who asked you what was wrong. I can't help it if you don't tell me."  
  
"I did tell you."  
  
"And I don't believe you."  
  
He looked at her sternly, ready to protest, but discovered the same determination in her eyes. He knew this was a battle he wasn't going to win. "I lied."  
  
"About what?"  
  
"About you being right."  
  
"When?"  
  
"After we left the hospital? You gave me that lecture about telling the team and I told you that you were right?"  
  
She nodded, recalling the conversation, "Yeah...so?"  
  
"Well I lied. You weren't completely right."  
  
"Ok, Grissom, if you want *this* to work," She imitated his movement earlier by gesturing at the space between them. "you're gonna have to start speaking in full phrases."   
  
"I lied."  
  
"And you'll have to stop repeating yourself."  
  
"I'm sorry, I'm not good at this." He shook his head nervously, trying to find the right words.  
  
"Gil, look at me." She demanded and when he did, she continued, "It's just me. Just say whatever's on your mind."  
  
Taking a deep breath, he had no time to figure out where all his previous courage had disappeared to, "You said that you figured I had told you about my hearing because I needed someone there for me.

  
That's not completely wrong." He paused, when Catherine gave no reaction, he went on, "I did need someone there but not just anyone. I told *you* because I needed *you* there. I could've simply told anybody. Any one of the team. But I told you because you're the only one I feel safe with." He shrugged as if his words didn't mean a thing.  
  
"You feel safe with me?" Catherine asked, a little breathlessly.  
  
"Of course." Grissom shrugged again.  
  
"What about everything tonight?"  
  
"I wanted to say thank you..." He nodded then smiled sheepishly, "and I thought it would serve as a nice segue into all of this..."  
  
"You didn't have to treat me and Lindsey to dinner and ice cream to tell me something like this, Grissom."  
  
"I know but it was a good excuse to spend time with you."  
  
"Alright, what did you do with the real Gil Grissom?" Catherine joked with a smile.  
  
"He went into the operation room and I came out." Grissom answered equally cheekily, "It's almost like the surgery didn't only help me hear...it helped me listen."  
  
Her eyes widened at his observation, "That's exactly what I thought!"  
  
"See, I listen so well, I can hear your thoughts."  
  
"Seriously, Grissom, I don't know what to say."  
  
"Just say you'll never get sick of me cuz ever since I spent those 2 weeks in the hospital, I've developed an..." He pondered for a moment for the right word, "An uncontrollable urge to be with you. I'm not sure what it is but I think it's what socially-accepted people call 'love'."  
  
Catherine laughed at the joke, amused and surprised that Grissom was able to make such light of his feelings. "What made you realize all this?"  
  
He shrugged, "My stay in the hospital. It was just a moment in my life. And having you there with me day and night, it made me realize that I didn't only need you at that particular moment, but that I needed you there in every single moment of my life."  
  
"I see that the surgery not only helped your hearing, it also helped your communication."  
  
"Is that a yes?"  
  
"No." She shook her head, "It's a no. As in, *no* I'm not gonna get sick of you. Ever."

_*The End*_


End file.
